Raman on not playing at Lakeside after Q-School triumph: "Give me that Tour Card any day, it's much more important"

Brian Raman will join the PDC ProTour for the next two years after claiming an outright Tour Card at European Q-School.

Raman had to participate in the first phase to secure a spot in the Final Stage.

“That first phase helped me to get some extra match rhythm, because I was able to play few tournaments last year due to the pandemic. Still, it turned out to be a dime. After all, the first day I immediately lost in the first round, despite an average of 97. There were only two days left to qualify for the final phase. On the second day I had a difficult draw, but that day I managed to win that spot in the final phase," Raman told Darts Actueel.

In that final phase, Raman hit on the second day. The 25-year-old Belgian reached the final and had to compete against the Dutch American Jules van Dongen. “I started that game very confident, but I quickly fell behind 4-0. Yet I never doubted, because I was playing strong all day. In the end I still managed to win 6-4 and my Tour Card was received. It took another two minutes before I realized that I had succeeded.”

Raman can now play on the Pro Tour alongside his buddy Dimitri Van den Bergh.

“Dimitri can help me get even better, every step I've made in my career is thanks to him. He constantly shares his experiences with me and helps me very hard, I am sure that we can take each other to the next level.”

The World Darts Federation (WDF) World Championship was originally scheduled for early January, but that was moved in late December to early April. Because Raman has now won a Tour Card, he is no longer allowed to participate at Lakeside. 

“That room is really iconic, so it's a shame in a way. But if I can choose, give me that Tour Card any day, it's much more important."

Raman doesn't put too much pressure on himself in his debut year with the PDC. “My main goal is to enjoy and make progress. Other than that, there is no special purpose. I was often told that I was not good enough, but in the meantime I have proven that I can deliver, actually I have nothing left to prove.”